Introduction
NASA is preparing to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to investigate the universe’s greatest mysteries, led by dark energy. The space telescope is targeted for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, August 30. The livestream will begin at 6:20 a.m.
Roman will have a field of view at least 100 times wider than that of the Hubble Space Telescope and will study dark matter, exoplanets, billions of galaxies and black holes. Following launch, it will travel to L2, the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, approximately one million miles from Earth. The mission has a five-year primary operating period and is intended to operate for 10 years.
NASA will hold a science briefing at 9 a.m. and a prelaunch press conference at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 29. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is expected to fly his jet over the launch pad where the telescope and Falcon Heavy are located at 11:45 a.m.